Indian writers guilty of double standards when it comes to dissent: Taslima Nasrin

[Joe Shearer]

Sir Ramesh Bhasin even I know. His daughter's name was Niharika as i recall .....

There was that classic evening when we were suddenly yanked out of our desks in Tata Centre, and without any warning shipped out to J. We reached the station not very sure of what was going on, and were scooped up into a jeep and swept away to an open air venue, where four sets of four chairs were laid out on a circular dias. We found we were taking part in a quiz, and we were the Tube Co. team; TELCO had a team, and TISCO had two teams, Works and non-Works, non-Works including the Aviation Section (the reason for this we learnt soon enough). I was sitting next to the non-Works team, next to a gent with a, shall we say, fleshy build? As the quiz started, we were pretty much creaming the other teams (I was member of the IIMC team, and had a lot of 'exposure', and this was a bit of a doddle). The guy next door was doing well, and I couldn't help leaning over and slapping him between the shoulder blades. Someone called him Doc, so I encouraged him every time he gave a good answer (rare enough), but there was a curious absence of bonhomie in that team. When the final two rounds came around, we were sitting in the catbird seat, and then it began. One question after another, on peculiarly arcane bits of aeronautical fare. I came to aeronautics some twenty years after that horrible evening; on the evening, we just sat as the rug was pulled out from under our feet. On the final question, Non-works pipped us at the post, there was a great roar of applause, and the QM announced that Doc Irani would host all the teams to dinner. It was the terrifying Dr. Irani I'd been slapping on his (ample) thighs!

The aftermath was weirder.

Ramesh and Sarosh obviously didn't think very much of Doc, and they swiftly took their teams away to Sarosh' home for a wing-ding of a time, but far away from the celebrating Doc and the TISCO teams. That was how deep rivalries ran at the time; it was a bit of a shocker in more ways than one.

 

[vsdoc]

There was that classic evening when we were suddenly yanked out of our desks in Tata Centre, and without any warning shipped out to J. We reached the station not very sure of what was going on, and were scooped up into a jeep and swept away to an open air venue, where four sets of four chairs were laid out on a circular dias. We found we were taking part in a quiz, and we were the Tube Co. team; TELCO had a team, and TISCO had two teams, Works and non-Works, non-Works including the Aviation Section (the reason for this we learnt soon enough). I was sitting next to the non-Works team, next to a gent with a, shall we say, fleshy build? As the quiz started, we were pretty much creaming the other teams (I was member of the IIMC team, and had a lot of 'exposure', and this was a bit of a doddle). The guy next door was doing well, and I couldn't help leaning over and slapping him between the shoulder blades. Someone called him Doc, so I encouraged him every time he gave a good answer (rare enough), but there was a curious absence of bonhomie in that team. When the final two rounds came around, we were sitting in the catbird seat, and then it began. One question after another, on peculiarly arcane bits of aeronautical fare. I came to aeronautics some twenty years after that horrible evening; on the evening, we just sat as the rug was pulled out from under our feet. On the final question, Non-works pipped us at the post, there was a great roar of applause, and the QM announced that Doc Irani would host all the teams to dinner. It was the terrifying Dr. Irani I'd been slapping on his (ample) thighs!

The aftermath was weirder.

Ramesh and Sarosh obviously didn't think very much of Doc, and they swiftly took their teams away to Sarosh' home for a wing-ding of a time, but far away from the celebrating Doc and the TISCO teams. That was how deep rivalries ran at the time; it was a bit of a shocker in more ways than one.

The Aviation team. Was there a gent named Dicky there? If there was, you probably know his surname. He is my fua.

Jamshedpur in the 70s and 80s was an impossibly small place. Everyone knew everyone.

 

[Joe Shearer]

The Aviation team. Was there a gent named Dicky there? If there was, you probably know his surname. He is my fua.

Jamshedpur in the 70s and 80s was an impossibly small place. Everyone knew everyone.

Yes, there was a good-looking guy who was the centre of attraction on that team, but Doc, this was 37 years ago. Gimme a break.

 

[vsdoc]

Yes, there was a good-looking guy who was the centre of attraction on that team, but Doc, this was 37 years ago. Gimme a break.

Ya. Very good looking. Still.

Also a biker. Was part of the team that rode Bombay to Paris on Jawas.

 

[Spectre]

TISCO/Tata Steel now is a pale shadow of what it was in Tata.

Common refrain of the locals is "Woh Pehli Waali Baat Nahi Rah Gayi"

Still it is nice hearing about the glory days.

@vsdoc @Joe Shearer

 

[vsdoc]

TISCO/Tata Steel now is a pale shadow of what it was in Tata.

Common refrain of the locals is "Woh Pehli Waali Baat Nahi Rah Gayi"

Still it is nice hearing about the glory days.

@vsdoc @Joe Shearer

You also a Jampotian?

 

[Joe Shearer]

TISCO/Tata Steel now is a pale shadow of what it was in Tata.

Common refrain of the locals is "Woh Pehli Waali Baat Nahi Rah Gayi"

Still it is nice hearing about the glory days.

@vsdoc @Joe Shearer

My first MD was Suraj Dass, who had married a legendary Bengali beauty, Osru Kona. They had three daughters, two of whom made their own marks, the third, the nicest, Juni Di, making a mark through her talented daughter. I met the second daughter, Binni Di, after forty five years, at my place of work, and it was an emotional moment for both of us.

 

[vsdoc]

My first MD was Suraj Dass, who had married a legendary Bengali beauty, Osru Kona. They had three daughters, two of whom made their own marks, the third, the nicest, Juni Di, making a mark through her talented daughter. I met the second daughter, Binni Di, after forty five years, at my place of work, and it was an emotional moment for both of us.

Most Jamshedpur kids have flown the coop, and most are doing really well sir. All over the world. Most are leaders, top of their game. My batch and 5 years above and behind.

It truly is (in retrospect, now having seen Pune and much of the rest of the country) one of India's top nurseries.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Most Jamshedpur kids have flown the coop, and most are doing really well sir.

It truly is (in retrospect, now having seen Pune and much of the rest of the country) one of India's top nurseries.

Totally agree.

 

[Spectre]

You also a Jampotian?

No but I visit quite often on account of my in laws staying there. They are old TISCO hands

 

[dray]

This bit about returning awards has gone too far. Journalists are now asking all & sundry whether they will return their awards....

Malayalam actress Sobhana says she has no idea of Dadri lynching, Sahitya Akademi protest

• By Sachin Jose
  | Updated: October 20, 2015 16:25 IST
  
  
  
  Malayalam actress Shobhana
  
  
  Malayalam actress Sobhana apparently has no idea about the controversial Dadri lynching case and several litterateurs returning prestigious honours, including Sahitya Akademi awards, in protest.
  
  While responding to the media about several writers and poets returning their awards, the acclaimed danseuse asked the reporters, "Which award? And who has returned (them)?"
  
  
  
  
  Some of the journalists pointed out that the awards were returned to protest the murder of Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi by Hindutva activists and lynching of a Muslim man in a Uttar Pradesh village over beef-eating rumours.
  
  
  However, Sobhana said she was not aware of the development and added that she has no intention of returning her awards.
  
  "May be someone has returned the award because they got it late in their life. I am not going to return the award that I got," she said during "Meet the Press" programme at Thiruvananthapuram Press Club.
  
  Several writers across the country, including Malayalam novelist Sarah Joseph, had returned their Sahitya Akademi awards to protest increasing communal violence in India.
  
  Malayalam actress Sobhana says she has no idea of Dadri lynching, Sahitya Akademi protest

I am almost sure that the writers are completely honest about at least the "Rerurn of award" part and returning the monetary part of the award along with cumulative interests at bank rates. Someone should file a RTI application to find out the amount and usage of that money, maybe it can be used to open online libraries at low cost in rural areas, lots of people will be benefited.

 

[The_Showstopper]

17 year-old Ria Vithasha, who has authored five novels returns Karnataka state Sahitya award for the killing of senior Kannada writer M M Kalburgi.

Sanghis be like: Why didn't you return in 1975?

 

[The_Showstopper]

"May be someone has returned the award because they got it late in their life. I am not going to return the award that I got," she said during "Meet the Press" programme at Thiruvananthapuram Press Club

17-year-old from Karnataka returns state Sahitya award : PTI feed, News - India Today

 

[Bang Galore]

17-year-old from Karnataka returns state Sahitya award : PTI feed, News - India Today

That was Sobhana's opinion, take it up with her. I was merely pointing out the absurdity of asking people questions on the subject.

Btw, when one reads more than the headline, it is far more nuanced. She is supposedly returning it in protest that the killers of Kalburgi have not been caught. That would be the issue of the state government, would it not?

"said she was "pained" that the killers of Kalburgi had not yet been caught and punished.
"I knew Kalburgi from childhood and have read all his books. I cried a lot when he was killed and wanted to return my award but my parents told me to have patience and wait. Now so much time has elapsed and still there is nothing being done so like the other writers have done, I have returned my award," Vithasha said in halting Hindi."

 

[The_Showstopper]

That was Sobhana's opinion, take it up with her. I was merely pointing out the absurdity of asking people questions on the subject.

Even I have posted a link answering her quoted text... You are free to take it up with her if it concerns you since I am not the concerned party.